30.09.06 – Last night on a Maloney Promotion at the GH Carnall Center in Manchester, England Matthew Macklin lunged out of the starting block and began a high pressure assault on British Light Middleweight Champion Jamie Moore that was to last ten rounds. For almost 30 fiery minutes Macklin applied a textbook version of the style taught by his trainer Billy Graham and threw himself upon Moore with wild abandon.
The seasoned southpaw Moore traded on his considerable big fight experience to ride out the storm early on via tight defense and a series of uppercuts that snapped Macklin’s head back in alarming fashion.
Still Macklin came like an unrelenting North Sea storm, lashing out at the champion with his complete arsenal and by the midway point of the contest, Moore had largely abandoned his cagey defense and was trading full blooded power shots with the challenger in a series of dramatic firefights.
The tide ebbed and flowed in the bout many times as both Macklin and Moore were by turns stunned by the other’s ferocity of purpose and ability to ram home flush shots.
The eighth round was contested at a torrid clip as Macklin gave one last push to nail down the lid on the champion’s reign but the Birmingham native simply couldn’t extinguish the pure fire that fueled Moore’s engine.
By the ninth it was apparent that the challenger had depleted his reserve tank and was subjected to a brutal gloved downpour from Moore, smelling blood as he closed in for the kill.
Macklin made it through the ninth through sheer will but the end came in the tenth as first a clubbing right then a spear-like southpaw left from Moore tore through the challenger’s guard and hurtled the exhausted Midlands man hard onto the canvas.
The fight was immediately over with Macklin out cold for over five minutes
before coming to. The defeated challenger was carried from the ring in a stretcher and taken to a local hospital where he is reported to be recovering well.
After the bout ,the 27 year old Moore, 25-3 (18), praised the toughness of Macklin, 17-2 (13), and vowed to give up the British title in order to target the European crown. The Manchester area fighter also hopes for an opportunity at genuine world honors before a self imposed retirement takes effect at age 30.
In other action on the Maloney Promotions bill:
Ali Nuumbembe outpointed Vladimir Borovski at welterweight
Mark Thompson outpointed Alexander Matviechuk at welterweight
Alex Matvienko stopped Jon Foster in three at super middle
Craig Watson stopped Michael Medor in the first at welter
Stuart McFadyen outpointed Abdul Mougharbel at featherweight
Brett Flournoy outpointed Gatis Skuja at light middle
Danny Harding outpointed Chris Pacey at welterweight
Paul Porter stopped Chris Johnson at welterweight
John Fewkes outpointed Thomas Mazurkiewicz